CFS & Fibromyalgia Living With How Showering Can Worsen Symptoms of Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS You may have body aches, feel weak, or get dizzy in or after a shower By Adrienne Dellwo Adrienne Dellwo LinkedIn Adrienne Dellwo is an experienced journalist who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and has written extensively on the topic. Learn about our editorial process Updated on February 26, 2023 Medically reviewed by Huma Sheikh, MD Medically reviewed by Huma Sheikh, MD Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Huma Sheikh, MD, is board-certified in neurology and specializes in migraine and stroke. She co-founded the migraine and vascular section for the American Headache Society. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Fact checked by Marley Hall Fact checked by Marley Hall LinkedIn Marley Hall is a writer and fact checker who is certified in clinical and translational research. Her work has been published in medical journals in the field of surgery, and she has received numerous awards for publication in education. Learn about our editorial process Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Exertion Too Much Relaxation Heat Sensitivity Blood Pressure Drops Nerve Response What You Can Do If you have fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), you may experience new or exacerbated body aches, weakness, dizziness, and other symptoms of your condition during or after a shower. This may happen for several reasons, including heat sensitivity, the energy it takes to perform a simple task like this, how your nerves respond to the water flow, and even an abnormal drop in blood pressure. This article explores why the shower you thought might ease your fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue symptoms does just the opposite, as well as what you can do to avoid these effects. Greg Kessler/Getty Images Exertion A shower takes more energy than people tend to recognize. You're standing the whole time. You do a fair amount of bending, stretching, and reaching while vigorously lathering up your head and body. Most people aren't impacted by this. But for those with ME/CFS, even small amounts of exertion can be too much. That's due to a symptom called post-exertional malaise (PEM)—a defining characteristic of this disease. Persons who experience PEM have trouble recovering after normal activities of daily living, such as showering, putting on clothes, or doing the dishes. Symptoms of PEM may include severe fatigue, flu-like feelings, pain, and/or worsening of other associated symptoms. People with fibromyalgia don't have post-exertional malaise, but some have a similar type of exercise intolerance. Too Much Relaxation Both of these conditions can overlap with sleep disorders, including insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless legs syndrome. They also both involve unrefreshing sleep. The hot water of a shower can be relaxing, which is great when it comes to tight muscles and connective tissues. But relaxation is not too helpful if you're dealing with profound fatigue because of these issues. If you are going to shower, avoid mornings, when you're especially fighting to get going. Temperature Sensitivity Temperature sensitivity is associated with both fibromyalgia and ME/CFS. It's suggested that abnormalities in the autonomic nervous system make it hard for the body to keep its temperature in the normal range. When you get heated up by a hot shower, it's a lot of work for the body to cool back down to normal. Some people get so overheated that they sweat profusely after a shower. In some cases, temperature sensitivity can lead to other symptoms to kick up as well, so it pays to avoid triggering it. Blood Pressure Drops People with ME/CFS are prone to dizziness thanks to a symptom called orthostatic intolerance. Basically, that means they get dizzy upon standing up. It's caused by an abnormal blood-pressure drop. Other symptoms of orthostatic intolerance may include lightheadedness, weakness, racing heart, and/or vision changes (blurred vision or seeing black or white spots). The heat of the shower combined with the motions of washing can have your body working overtime to keep your sense of balance. Persons with fibromyalgia may also experience orthostatic intolerance. However, there are other causes of dizziness in fibromyalgia that are different from those that cause it in ME/CFS. Heightened Nerve Response The pressure of water hitting your skin can get your nerves riled up. For some, it hurts while they're under the spray. Others might not hurt until after a shower when they feel the cumulative effects of stimulating their overreactive nerves. Erroneous pain signals can cause widespread body aches. The pain may be described as burning, aching, stabbing, or tingling. This phenomenon is called allodynia, which is pain caused by something that wouldn't normally hurt. There's a thermal form of allodynia that could make the heat of a shower even harder to tolerate. Allodynia is almost universal in fibromyalgia and some people with ME/CFS experience it, as well. What You Can Do Taking a bath is an easy solution to some of the problems that showering can cause you. This is especially true for dizziness, exertion, and a heightened nerve response, since you can rest while cleaning yourself and aren't under a steady stream of water. A bath also tends to steam up the bathroom less, so you may have an easier time cooling off when you get out. If you don't have time for a soak, don't have a bathtub, or simply prefer showers, these tips can help: Use a shower stool: Sitting down means you'll be doing less bending and stretching, and it could prevent dizziness while conserving energy.Use cooler water in the shower: If hot water has a negative impact on you, you can always dial the temperature down. In either case, it might be better to bathe or shower in the evening instead of in the morning. This will prevent you from becoming too relaxed when you're trying to find energy to start the day and may help you get better sleep at night. When taking a bath or a shower requires more exertion than you can muster, use body-cleansing wipes and dry shampoo to freshen up. 10 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. 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